And the 30-year-old has hailed Redknapp’s man-management as key to his starring role at St Mary’s.

Bothroyd told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast: “It was my first start in the Premier League since I came back, but Harry has been speaking to me, telling me I’d get my opportunity and filing me with confidence. So I was buzzing and chomping at the bit to impress.

“It was a massive game. We knew there was a lot of pressure on us but thankfully we got the win.”

“Everyone’s attitude at the club is right,” he added. “No-one likes to read stories [about themselves] in the paper. There were five other teams out there and we trained every day, and some of them didn’t train at all.

“It must have hurt the manager and it hurt us as well when you see the paper. But we have to put that to back of our mind.”